


The Kit Case

by BadsieBotsie



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, So many OCs, like really cliche, so cliche
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-20 01:12:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7385059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadsieBotsie/pseuds/BadsieBotsie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps’ relationship had only grown after the Night Howler case. They became partners, both on the force and personally. They live at Nick’s home at Savanna Central and have a not-so-simple life at the Zootopia Police Department.</p><p>But various reports of missing or dead fox and rabbit kits had spiked. Assumed aimed at Judy and Nick, the murderers’ intentions are not clear. After a close encounter with the murderer, Nick and Judy rescue a group of the victims, young kits, both foxes and bunnies.</p><p>Their lives change forever with this group, who appear to have come out of nowhere, with no records or documents stating who they are. Things only get difficult from here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And then she heard it. A low growl emitted through the silence, followed by a quiet whimper. Hopps threw her arm out, stopping her partner from walking any further. He threw her a questioning glance but realised that she was listening out as her ears twitched. He looked around the area, the dark looming shipping containers stacked tightly together, barely allowing much walking space but the centre of the warehouse. The two had kept close to the containers to create less of a chance of being spotted.

“Dispatch, this is Hopps and Wilde. We have a disturbance in an old seemingly abandoned warehouse at the docks in Savanna Central, by the Watering Hole Station.”

“What appears to be the disturbance?”

“We don’t know yet, but we will check it out.”

“I thought you were off your shift tonight, Hopps.”

“You know I love my job too much for that.”

“That’s true. Do you need any backup?”

“Not that I can tell, but I will contact you if need be.”

“We’ll have a team ready here anyway. Be careful, Hopps.”

“We will.”

Hopps placed her comms unit back into her utility belt, turning to face her partner, Wilde. He had an odd look on his face as he stared at the warehouse.

“Let’s go,” Hopps said, and wandered down the hill, with Wilde following close. They quickly headed towards the large warehouse, creating an unspoken agreement to scout the area around the warehouse first as they made their way towards it. They made their way around the sides of the large building, starting from the back and splitting up, meeting back up at the front of the warehouse.

Wilde nodded to Hopps, and slowly pushed the door open enough for them both to slip through. It was dark inside, and the pair were silent, listening out to any disruption to the silence of the warehouse. Hopps could hear the subtle clinking of chains and wondered if her partner could see them. She walked beside him but let him take the lead since he had a better chance of seeing anything.

And then she heard it. A low growl emitted through the silence, followed by a quiet whimper. Hopps threw her arm out, stopping her partner from walking any further. He threw her a questioning glance but realised that she was listening out as her ears twitched. He looked around the area, the dark looming shipping containers stacked tightly together, barely allowing much walking space but the centre of the warehouse. The two had kept close to the containers to create less of a chance of being spotted.

A deep bellowing masculine laugh echoed throughout the complex, followed by a cry. A spotlight flickered on, shining its dim light not too far ahead of Hopps and Wilde. Wilde spared a glance to his partner who had her gaze fixated on the commotion ahead of them. A group of children were centred in the spotlight, a mix of rabbits and foxes, all ears were back and all had frightened tear stained faces. They had been tied together as a group with a thick rope.

There were two brown grizzlies standing by the edge of the light, watching the kids as they cried. Their faces were stoic, showing no emotion as they stood menacingly. A black jaguar stood over the kits speaking softly to them. Wilde had the feeling that the words were spoken were not nice, considering the eerie grin the jaguar held as the kits cried. Wilde was too far to hear what they were saying, but he was sure that his partner could.

And she did. She listened hard, barely making out the words spoken by the jaguar. A third grizzly appeared from the shadows, and the jaguar stood to his full height to face him.

“It’s all set, sir,” the grizzly stated monotonously.

“It’s about bloody time,” The jaguar said, his voice smooth and deep. His mouth formed a line across his face as he stared up at the grizzly. He turned back to the kits and stared down at him.

“This is your last chance to tell me where you hid them,” He stated sternly.

“W- We don’t know what you’re talking about,” One of the foxes said. His voice was shaky.

“I’m not stupid, fox. I know you had them. You know, it’s rather amusing that you turned out to be foxes and rabbits, considering that the ‘heroes’ of the land are the same species,” The jaguar stated, a smirk settling on his features.

Wilde turned to Hopps, who shrugged up at him, meaning that she had no idea what the jaguar was talking about.

“Whether you tell me where they are or not, I will find them. I have mammals searching all over Zootopia trying to find them,” the jaguar informed. The kits stayed silent. “Very well, let’s do it this way. You can tell me where they are, and I’ll let you free. If you don’t, this place is set to explode.”

“You’ll kill us anyway,” One of the rabbits stated.

Wilde turned back to Hopps, who was reaching for her comms unit in her belt. She retreated into a gap between the large shipping containers to speak.

“Dispatch, you still have that backup available?”

“They’re on their way now. What did you find?”

“We found the culprit to the kit crimes. A jaguar is the head of it, and he is currently accompanied by three grizzlies.”

“Good job, Hopps. Backup is on the way. Do not engage.”

“They have the place set to blow, backup won’t get here in time. We need to get the kids out.”

“I repeat: do not engage.”

“Copy, dispatch.”

Hopps placed her comms unit back into its place and gestured for Wilde to come closer. He did so, and Hopps spoke in a low voice.

“They won’t get here in time,” she stated.

“So what are we going to do?” Wilde asked.

“We need to get those kids out.”

“How?”

“We can’t disable all the bombs, we don’t know where they are and we don’t have time.”

“We could wait for them to leave and then get the kits out,” Wilde offered.

“It’s a small timeframe. We might not be able to do it.”

“Then we distract them,” Wilde stated.

“How? Throw a stick?” Hopps asked with a frown.

“Let’s go guns blazing. They aren’t armed, so the most likely chance is that they’ll run. We’ll go from behind them so they leave through the front. There weren’t any vehicles outside, so hopefully backup can catch them before they get too far.”

“They’ll probably detonate the place once they get far enough,” Hopps stated.

“Like you said. Small timeframe,” Wilde said with a smile.

The two then set off to the back of the warehouse, swiftly and silently. They reached for their respective weapons and centred themselves in the centre of the walkway, directly behind the grizzlies, but at least fifteen metres away. The grizzlies and the jaguar were walking away from the kits.

“Freeze! ZPD!” Hopps yelled out as the two of them fixed their weapons on the two immediate grizzlies. The grizzlies parted, exposing the jaguar who turned to look at them.

“Ah, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person. I’ve heard so much about you, you know,” The jaguar stated, grinning at them while gesturing the grizzlies to leave. And they did so. The jaguar held up a detonator. “This place is–”

“Rigged to blow, we know,” Wilde stated. “Step away from the kits.”

“If you say so, Officer Wilde. But I’m afraid that this is the end of the line for all of you,” the jaguar said, and took off towards the entrance.

Hopps and Wilde acted immediately, Wilde shooting at him.

“Wilde!” Hopps yelled, causing him to stop.

“What?”

“That was not part of the plan!”

Wilde shrugged and went towards the kits.

“You’re gonna be okay,” he said, using his claws to cut the rope. It fell around them and they stood up. “WE are going to get you out of here, okay? You all need to follow my friend Judy here, okay? And you need to be quick. I’ll be right behind you,” Wilde said, and Judy immediately started running towards the entrance, the kits following behind closely. Except for one. A small grey-furred fox sat there staring at the ground.

“C’mon kid, we need to go,” Wilde said, grabbing at the kid’s paw. The kid shuffled away. “Kid, look, we need to go. I’m not going to hurt you.” He looked up and saw that Judy and the kids were retreating up the hill outside the warehouse. He heard beeping, rapidly speeding up, from various points around him.

“Crap,” he said and grabbed the kid, who started screeching with terror.

And he ran.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashes of blue and red filled the area, and she realised that backup was here. A bit too late, she thought bitterly. Some of the kits had started crying, and she realised one of the foxes was missing. The remaining fox looked distraught.

 They dived behind the hill just in time. The explosion was loud, and the wind it created was unbearable. Hopps’ ears were ringing, but she still peeked over the hill when the wind subsided. The explosion did not have the fireball effect that they normally have. There was barely any smoke coming from the slowly collapsing building. The explosion disrupted the structures, and it crumbled away.

 “That was a close one,” Hopps said, and the ringing in her ears began to subside. She turned to face her partner. “Wasn’t it?”

 She realised that he wasn’t there. “Wilde?” She stated, but fear took over her features. “Nick? Nick!? Where are you?!”

 Flashes of blue and red filled the area, and she realised that backup was here. _A bit too late_ , she thought bitterly. Some of the kits had started crying, and she realised one of the foxes was missing. The remaining fox looked distraught.

 Officer Fangmeyer approached them.

 “Where’s Officer Wilde?” She asked, looking down at Judy and the group of young kits.

 “I,” Judy began, but her words were caught in her throat. She swallowed and looked at the crumbing building, before looking back up at Fangmeyer.

 Fangmeyer’s face fell with realisation. She hurried over to Chief Bogo, who was talking to Officer McHorn. The two turned towards the approaching tiger.

 “Where’s Wilde?” Bogo asked.

 “He may be in the wreckage. I’m not one hundred percent sure, but he’s nowhere to be seen and Hopps looks distraught. I don’t think she’s seen him since she fled the warehouse with the kits,” Fangmeyer explained.

 “How many?” Bogo asked.

 “Five rabbits and one fox. This murderer is upping his game,” Fangmeyer stated.

 “There were two foxes,” a small defeated voice stated. Judy had joined them. “I believe both the other fox and Nick are stuck in there.”

 “Clawhauser mentioned you saw the murderer?” Bogo asked.

 Judy nodded. “It appears to be a black jaguar running the whole thing. He was accompanied by three grizzlies, probably his muscle. He mentioned he was looking for something, and claimed that the kids knew where it was. He never said what is was exactly,” Judy trailed off. “We need to find Nick.”

 “Hopps, could you please go sit with the kits? Perhaps you could somewhat comfort them, seeing as you are the only small officer here, and less threatening in appearance,” Bogo suggested.

 “In all due respect sir,” Fangmeyer started, “I don’t think she could comfort them, seeing as she is just as distraught as-”

 “I can do that,” Judy cut her off, and walked off.

 “It would be a miracle if Wilde survived that. He would have a whole building collapsed on him,” McHorn stated once Judy was out of ear shot.  

 Bogo turned to Fangmeyer. “Get Wolford and take Hopps and the kits to the station. I’ll get teams to start digging up the rubble, see if we can find them. Tell Hopps we’ll keep her updated. Try and get as much as you can from Hopps, including why she ignored a direct order,” He ordered. Fangmeyer nodded and left to find Wolford. Bogo faced McHorn.

 “Round up the Officers to start clearing rubble. I’ll get an extraction team here to help as soon as possible,” Bogo declared.

 “Yes sir,” McHorn agreed, and started rounding up officers, directing them to the pile of rubble that was left of the warehouse.

 Bogo watched as officers began to head towards the warehouse, both under McHorn’s guidance and common sense.

 He watched Wolford and Hopps guiding the kits into a police car, and getting in themselves. Fangmeyer was already in the car.

 He watched the car retreat into the night, towards the lights of Savanna Central, towards the police station.

 He watched officers take piles of rubble away from the site.

 He hoped that he didn’t lost one of his best officers.

* * *

 Nick woke with a start. It was dark, even for him, and somewhat stuffy. He had his body wrapped around a small figure. His eyes slightly adjusted, and he noticed it was the small fox that refused to move.

 Nick moved one of his arms upwards to see if he could sit up, but he hit cold steel. Confused at first, he ran his paw over the cold steel, before returning it back over the unconscious kit. He sighed audibly as he wracked his brain trying to remember what happened.

 It came to him. Slowly. In small fragments.

 He remembered panic.

 He remembered the terrified screaming from the kit.

 He remembered beeping.

 He remembered running.

 Beeping from what?

 Running from what?

 Running from the beeping?

 Shipping containers. That’s what the steel was.

 But what was he running from.

 He could feel the little fox breathing against his chest. It was facing him, curled up against him. He curled his tail up, covering a little of the tiny fox in his arms.

 His shoulder was sore. 

 He was uncomfortable.

 The steel creaked above him.

 Shipping containers…

 Warehouse?

 Explosion. That’s what had happened.

 Did Judy get out?

 Yes, he saw her climb the hill.

 Is she okay?

 Is she?

 Nick wondered how long he had been awake for. He wondered how long he had been under there period. It felt like hours.

 He thought about Judy. His Carrots. Her violet eyes that glistened with determination whenever she did… anything. Her cute fuzzy wuzzy little tail.

 He wondered if she had thought about their wedding. When it would be. Where it would be. He remembered when they became engaged. It was so casual it was almost comical.

_The smell of blueberries filled his nose as Nick arrived home. He had visited his mother, and Judy insisted on staying home to let Nick spend some time alone with his mother._

_He wandered to the kitchen and watched as Judy pulled a pie out of the oven, and placing it on the kitchen island._

_“Oh, hey Nick. I made a blueberry pie,” Judy stated, a pleased grin plastered on her face._

_“I can smell that,” Nick stated sitting on one of the stools at the breakfast bar on the island. They chatted about their day as they waited for it to cool enough to eat._

_When Nick took his first bite, he groaned in satisfaction. “Mmm, Judy this is amazing,” he groaned. “Marry me,” He exasperated._

_“Okay,” Judy replied, and it was only then that Nick had realised what he had said._

_“W- What?” Nick stuttered._

_Judy smirked. “Yes, I will marry you, Nicholas Wilde. Unless you want to change your mind…?”_

_“NO! No, I just… I just don’t have a ring or anything…” Nick trailed off._

_“Mr Wilde, were you planning on asking me?”_

_“…Maybe,” Nick replied._

_“Besides. We can go and get a ring any day. It doesn’t matter that much to me. As long as I have you by my side.”_

_“Carrots, you are so cheesy, you know,” Nick pointed out. “Come here,” He gestured with his arms, and Judy walked around the island, hopping up onto Nick’s lap. He held her tightly._

_“So how do you feel about becoming Mrs Wilde?” Nick asked with a grin._

_“I love you, ya big goof,” Judy stated._

_“I love you, too, Carrots. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”_

_“Look who’s the cheesy one now,” Judy stated._

_“Oh, shut up. Hey, are you eating my pie?”_

_“I made it,” Judy stated. She had picked up his fork and was eating his slice of pie._

_“Cheater,” Nick muttered, and then stuck his tongue out at her. She lifted the fork to his mouth, holding a paw underneath it to catch the piece of pie if it fell._

_“Open up,” Judy ordered, and he happily obliged._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The streets weren’t busy, being so late at night, and she just felt so exhausted. She was drained, both physically and emotionally. She trudged home slowly. When she arrived, she looked through the fridge and saw leftover blueberry pie from the weekend. Judy shut the fridge aggressively and sat at the breakfast bar. It was just so quiet without Nick. She rested her head on the benchtop and finally cried.

 Judy followed Wolford into the station, the group of kits following behind her, and then Fangmeyer behind them. As they walked past, Clawhauser gave her a sympathetic look, but she did not make eye contact. Her eyes were fixated on the floor and her ears were droopy, pressed against her back.

 She knew they were headed to the interrogation rooms. Judy had heard Wolford and Fangmeyer talking about it in the car before she tuned out.

 “Are we going to die?” Judy heard one of the kits saying.

 “No, stupid. We’re with the police. They’re not going to hurt us,” Another kit said back. “Are you?”

 “No,” Fangmeyer replied.

 “Where’s Cassie?” One of them asked.

 “She didn’t make it out of the explosion, dummy. The other cop went to get her because she’s stupid enough to sit there and cry,” The second kit mentioned.

 “Is Cassie dead?” a fourth kit asked.

 “We don’t know. But we will find out when we find her and Officer Wilde,” Fangmeyer explained.

 “Did you see the rubble? They’re both probably dead,” The second kit piped up again.

 “Uri, that’s enough,” the fox stated sternly. “You heard the officer. We don’t know yet and we will find out sooner or later.”

 “Hopefully sooner,” Judy mumbled. Wolford led her into an interrogation room, while Fangmeyer led the kits into a separate one. Judy sat in a chair on one end of the table and Wolford sat opposite her.

 “Are you okay?” He asked.

 “No,” Judy replied.

 “What happened?”

 “The warehouse exploded.”

 “We know that. But how? Why?”

 “With bombs, to kill the kits.”

 “Look, Hopps, you’re gonna have to cooperate with me here and then we can both go home.”

  Judy sighed. “The jaguar was trying to get the kits to tell him where something was.”

 “What was it?”

 “I don’t know. He never said what it was. But he believed that the kits hid it somewhere.”

 “So why did he blow the place up?”

 “To kill the kits. He said that whether or not the kits told him where the thing was he would find it. He said that he had mammals all over the city looking for it.”

 “Is there anything else this jaguar said? A name?”

 “No, but he mentioned something that’s confusing me.”

 “Care to share?”

 “He said to the kits that they ‘turned out’ to be foxes and rabbits, and then said the same species as the heroes of the land, which I can’t understand,”

 Wolford gave her a look.

 “I’m not making this up. That’s what he said.”

 “Did you ever think that Wilde would be here with us if you hadn’t engaged like you were told to?” Wolford asked.

 “I had. It was his idea to engage them as we did. But the Jaguar and the grizzlies were already leaving to blow the place up. If anything, we delayed the explosion. But what took you guys so long to get there?”

 “We got there as quickly as possible. You could have called for backup earlier too.”

 “I know, and I’m kicking myself for it.”

 “But hey, on the bright side, you gave us a lead.”

 “Yeah?”

 “We know the species of the murderer and we have victims. We might be able to connect some dots here.”

 “Yeah, I guess. What’s gonna happen to those kits now?” Judy asked

 “The jaguar might come back after them, so we are gonna protect them. They’ll probably sleep here at the station tonight, and we’ll find their parents tomorrow,” Wolford informed. He then checked his phone. “Today, seeing as it’s nearly one a.m. You can go home if you want.”

 “Okay.”

  Judy hopped off the chair, but Wolford stayed seated. He was writing in a notepad. “Goodnight, Wolford.”

 “Goodnight, Hopps,” Wolford replied, without looking up.

 And with that, Judy left the room. She wandered back to the main room, and Clawhauser was not at the reception desk. He must have gone home. Judy made her way out and began walking home. She had left her cruiser back at the warehouse.

 The cold air attacked her through her uniform, and Judy shivered. If Nick were here, he would wrap his arm around her or something. _But Nick’s not here_. Judy sighed.

 The streets weren’t busy, being so late at night, and she just felt so _exhausted_. She was drained, both physically and emotionally. She trudged to her apartment slowly. When she arrived, she looked through the fridge and saw leftover blueberry pie from the weekend. Judy shut the fridge aggressively and sat at the breakfast bar. It was just so quiet without Nick. She rested her head on the benchtop and finally cried.

 She sobbed and whimpered, and she just missed Nick. She missed his witty remarks and his crude comments. She just missed his presence. And she missed the way they would cuddle on the couch after a long day’s work, and mock and make fun of mammals on the television.

 Eventually, Judy made her way to her bedroom. She changed into her pyjamas and left her uniform hanging on the door. She curled up on Nick’s side of the bed and breathed into his pillow. And cried some more. She cried herself to sleep.

* * *

 Judy was awake before her alarm. She was using Nick’s pillow as a body pillow. He’d probably reprimand her for it, but he wasn’t here to do so. Judy sighed. Her bladder was screaming at her and her stomach was reminding her that she needed sustenance to survive.

  _I need Nick_. Judy got up and went to the bathroom before making her way to the kitchen. She didn’t look at herself in the mirror; she already knew she looked terrible. She brought out a small slice of blueberry pie. There wasn’t much left of it, probably close to a third left. She looked at her phone as she ate. There was a message from Clawhauser telling her not to come in to work. He probably knew Judy would come in anyway. But there was no word on Nick.

 Judy decided she would bring the pie into the station, feed the kits. They were probably in shock and were most likely in need of sugar. She went and had a shower and completed all her morning tasks before wrapping the rest of the pie up and heading to work.

 There were mammals wandering about, but Judy ignored them as she walked to work. She stalked up to Clawhauser, who gave her a smile as she approached. His gaze then dropped to the leftover pie in Judy’s paws.

 “Is that the infamous blueberry pie that Nick always brags about?” he asked with a sheepish smile on his face.

 “Yeah, I thought I’d bring it in for the kits. Where are they?” Judy asked.

 “They’re still in the interrogation room. Fangmeyer set them up to sleep last night. I think she stayed with them. I’m not sure,” Clawhauser replied.

 “Okay. Thanks, Clawhauser,” Judy said and walked off to the interrogation rooms. Judy knocked on each of the doors until she heard movement from the other side of one.

 She opened the door and wandered in, and saw mats on the floor, probably spares from the gym and a couple of blankets. All six kits were there, but no Fangmeyer.

 “I bring food,” Judy stated and hopped up onto a chair, placing the pie in front of her. She cut it up into small pieces and helped the kits onto the table. They ate piece by piece in famished silence, leaving only two large slices left. They ate two-thirds of what was there.

 Judy smiled at them and wondered when they last ate. Judy noticed that they were all in some kind of uniform, and each had name tags on them.

 “What was Mister Wilde like?” One of the kits asked, a rabbit with red fur and purple eyes. She was wearing a yellow jacket.

 The question caught Judy off guard, her smile faltering.

 “Miss Fangie told us about the Night Howlers. Can animals still go savage?” The grey rabbit with green eyes asked. He was wearing a blue jacket.

 “Yes, but there’s an antidote for it now,” Judy replied.

 There was a knock on the door. Fangmeyer stepped in and stared at Judy.

 “Chief Bogo would like to see you,” She stated.

 “Okay. Feel free for some pie if you like. If the kids will let you at it,” Judy stated.

 “No, thank you. Clawhauser would be distraught,” Fangmeyer replied.

 Judy hopped off the chair and walked out.

 “Miss Judy!” A young voice called out. Judy turned around to face the young kit. The fox had hopped off the table and scurried towards Judy. Judy looked over his red fur and green eyes. _He really looks a lot like Nick_.

 “I hope they find your partner,” The young fox said.

 “And I hope they find your friend,” Judy replied.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hopps,” Bogo quickly said, gaining her attention. Judy turned to face him. “We’ll find him.”  
>  “I hope,” Judy said quietly and left the room. She made her way back to the interrogation room where the kits were held. She was surprised to see that there was still pie left, and not so surprised to see Clawhauser retreating from the room with a piece in his paw. He smiled sheepishly as he walked past.

The creaking above them was louder now. Nick was sure of it. He wondered if the steel above them would collapse and crush them. It was slanted, most likely dented, and there was a sharp edge of serrated steel. Nick couldn’t see it very well, but he could certainly feel it.

The kit in his arms was most certainly awake. It had struggled and whimpered and cried before, trying to get out of Nick’s grip, but he did not let it go. Eventually, it stopped crying and struggling and just laid there.

Nick knew the kit was terrified; he could hear the ragged breathing of the kit. It became increasingly harder to breathe, so Nick had slowed his breathing as much as he could.

The kit started to whimper again, and uncharacteristically held on to Nick’s uniform. Nick held the kit tight, holding onto it like there was no tomorrow. What if there is no tomorrow?

Nick sighed and shifted his gaze to the kit. He could just see the outline of its grey fur. He could not, however, see any features of the kit. He knew that it was wearing a hoodie; he could feel the hood against its back.

“What’s your name, kid?” Nick whispered to the kit, but there was no response.

“My name’s Nick,” He tried again, and this time, the kit shuffled a bit closer to him.

“‘M cold,” the kit whispered. Nick barely heard it but realised that it had a somewhat feminine voice. So maybe the kit was a girl?

Nick moved his left hand to find the kit’s hoodie, and brought it up over her head, trying not to catch her ears. His right arm was dead, buried underneath him and the kit. It had stopped tingling a few hours ago,

“Help will come soon,” Nick whispered, and he wasn’t sure if he was telling the kit or himself.

* * *

“Fangmeyer said you wanted to see me?”

Judy walked into Chief Bogo’s office. Bogo nodded and Judy took a seat.

“Why didn’t you take the day off?” Bogo asked.

“I needed to get my mind off things,” Judy replied.

“I have teams excavating the rubble, and you will be notified immediately when we find something. But in the meantime, I want you to find out who these kits are, and call up their families to tell them that they’re okay,” Bogo requested.

Judy nodded. “I’ll take them to my cubicle.”

Bogo nodded and returned to his paperwork. Judy took this as a sign the conversation was over. She hopped off the chair and made her way to the door.

“Hopps,” Bogo quickly said, gaining her attention. Judy turned to face him. “We’ll find him.”

“I hope,” Judy said quietly and left the room. She made her way back to the interrogation room where the kits were held. She was surprised to see that there was still pie left, and not so surprised to see Clawhauser retreating from the room with a piece in his paw. He smiled sheepishly as he walked past.

Judy put on a smile as she faced the kits. They looked up at her with wide eyes.

“Okay, guys, we’re going to go to my workplace, and we’re going to get you back to your parents,” Judy informed.

One of the rabbit’s ears elevated. She was the one with a yellow jacket. “You mean we can find my mommy and daddy?”

“Yeah, and you guys can go home. So, I will grab this,” Judy stated, grabbing the last piece of pie from the table, “and we will go to my cubicle to find out where you live.”

Judy walked out, and the kits followed her to her cubicle.

“So, who wants to be first?” Judy asked. The red rabbit with the yellow jacket stuck her paw up.

“Me! Me please!” She yelled.

“Okay, but you gotta keep it down. There are other officers working here,” Judy informed.

“Okay,” the rabbit whispered. Judy smiled as she clambered onto the chair.

“So, what is your name?” Judy asked.

“My name is Hanny,” the rabbit said. She had bright purple eyes, a common eye colour for rabbits. Well, in Judy’s family at least.

“Is that short for Hannah?” Judy offered.

Hanny shook her head. “Haniel. I don’t know how to spell my last name, but it’s written on my jacket!” Hanny stated, showing an embroidered name on her jacket, in grey writing. It was cursive.

“Haniel Gaudium?” Judy stated. “Well, that’s a funny name.”

“It means joy,” the fox spoke up. “It’s in Latin.”

Judy turned to her computer and typed in the rabbits’ name, glancing back to the name on the jacket to make sure it is spelt right.

But there were no results.

“Hmm,” Judy hummed, confused.

“Does that mean you can’t find my mommy and daddy?” Hanny asked, pouting.

“No!” Judy said quickly, “It just means that we have to find them another way. Do you know which district you live in?”

Hanny gave her a confused look.

“Here,” Judy said, pulling up a map on her computer. “This is a map of Zootopia. We are in Savanna Central, down here. This is the Rainforest District. It’s always raining there. This is Tundratown, the coldest district, where it’s always snowing. Sahara Square is the opposite; it’s always hot. And in the middle is Downtown. So do you know where you live?”

Hanny stared at the map and shrugged.

Judy sighed. “What does the area around your house look like?”

“I remember water,” Hanny said.

“Rain?”

“No,” one of the rabbits on the floor piped up. She had grey fur, darker than Hanny, and purple eyes that matched her jacket. She noticed it said ‘Gabriel’ on the purple jacket, in the same grey as Hanny’s.

“It surrounded everything,” The other red rabbit inputted. Her nametag said Jophiel.

“The ocean?” Judy offered.

“We think so,” The fox said. His name tag said ‘Michael’, and his jacket was white. “The water was salty when we left.”

“Who else was in this house?” Judy asked.

Michael shook his head. “Not house. It was too big to be a house. Too plain. Not… house like. Mostly rabbits. A couple of foxes and wolves. Some big cats too, like cheetahs and leopards.”

“Jaguars?” Judy asked.

The other dark grey-furred rabbit shook his head. He wore an orange jacket, and his name was Uriel. “The jaguar that tried to kill us was not from there.”

“Do you know who he is?” Judy asked.

“He’s called Malum. Don’t know if that’s his real name,” The grey rabbit said. He wore a blue jacket, and his name was Raphael. He had green eyes.

“Why was he trying to kill you?” Judy asked.

“We hid something that he stole,” The other grey rabbit said. She wore a green jacket, and her name was Peniel. She had purple eyes.

“What was it that you hid?” Judy asked. The rabbits all turned to Michael.

“Hopps! Hopps!” Someone was yelling. Wolford appeared at the entrance to Judy’s cubicle.

“They found them. They found Nick and the fox and they’re alive.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh, Nick,” Judy exasperated. Judy could see the thin layer of dust covering Nick’s uniform. He was close to the dent, and Judy could see it made a jagged edge near Nick’s head. Judy hoped that he wouldn’t wake with a start and lift his head quickly, as he would catch himself on the sharp serrated edge.

Chief Bogo exited the cruiser and made his way to the hill. It was a strong point there; it was easy to see what was left of the warehouse. The crews had been working over eighteen hours, and still no sign of Wilde.

Reporters surrounded the area but thankfully stayed behind the police tape. He heard clamouring behind him and turned to find Wolford leading Judy and the kits away from the reporters. He watched Judy count the kids, making sure they all got through. The group wandered towards Bogo.

“Hopps, did you find out who they are?” Bogo asked, referring to the kits.

“I know their names, but they have no records,” Judy replied.

“Not even birth records?” Bogo suggested.

Judy shook her head and glanced down at the warehouse.

“Go,” Bogo said, and Judy obliged without question. The kits followed her. Wolford stayed behind.

“She never wastes a second,” Wolford commented.

“Did she tell you anything about the kits?” Bogo asked.

Wolford shook his head. “Only their names. She was talking with them when I arrived. She probably got more information out of them in the half-hour she had than we had at all,” Wolford explained.

Bogo hummed in response and saw Judy arguing with one of the excavation crew members.

“I have a right to see them, as do these kits. He is my partner, and this fox cub lost his...” Judy trailed off, looking at Michael.

“My sister,” Michael said firmly, and then smiled up at Judy.

“His sister,” Judy confirmed. The beaver sighed and looked up at the hill. Judy turned and saw Bogo waving them off. Judy turned to the beaver, who had called over one of his workers.

The worker came over and the beaver talked to him quietly. The worker looked them over and walked away.

“Fine,” The beaver said. “I can take you to see them, but they are unconscious and we haven’t removed them yet. We’re waiting for a specialist team to arrive, along with the ambulance. They should be here shortly.”

The worker came back, armed with hard hats, small and looked like they would fit the kits and one for Judy. The worker handed them out and the kits put them on. They looked a little big. Judy’s hard hat was too big for her.

“It’ll do,” The beaver stated. “Follow me, but be careful, because you do not want to fall anywhere around here. There’s no telling where you’ll end up.”

The beaver started walking. Judy gestured for the kits to follow the mammal, and they walked in single file. Judy walked behind them.

They arrived at a distorted shipping container, with a column collapsed onto it, denting it and misshaping it. There was a rough opening where the steel and been forcefully parted, probably due to the impact of the column hitting the metal.

The beaver warned the kits not to get too close, but they peered in.

“I can’t see anything,” Raphael stated, crossing his arms with a pout. The beaver sighed, exasperated, and pulled a flashlight from his belt. He beckoned the kits to move around the opening to where he was, and they peered in. Judy watched in anticipation. And then,

“I see them! I see them!” It was Hanny who spoke up. “Cassie! Can you hear me?” She continued.

The beaver rolled his eyes. “No, they can’t hear you. They're unconscious.”

Hanny tilted her head, confused.

“They’re sleeping,” Judy offered. Hanny nodded and peered through.

“Miss Judy, do you want to see them?” Michael offered.

“Sure,” She said. She really did want to, and she questioned herself as to why she held herself back before. For the kits, Judy reminded herself. For the kits.

Judy moved beside Michael and peered in. The flashlight caught the settling dust in the container, and she saw Nick curled around a smaller grey figure. The other fox. Cassie, the kits called her.

“Oh, Nick,” Judy exasperated. Judy could see the thin layer of dust covering Nick’s uniform. He was close to the dent, and Judy could see it made a jagged edge near Nick’s head. Judy hoped that he wouldn’t wake with a start and lift his head quickly, as he would catch himself on the sharp serrated edge.

Judy sat up and looked at the beaver. He was looking off into the distance. “Looks like the specialist team has arrived,” He said. Judy followed his gaze to the group of big cats, mainly tigers and lions, walking towards them. They had all sorts of equipment held by them. Judy could count about ten or twelve mammals, but couldn’t be sure from the distance.

They arrived quickly. They did not start at the jagged edge that Judy and the kits used to peer at Nick and Cassie. They cut into the steel close to Nick after the beaver had estimated where he was lying.

The machine used to cut the steel was unbearably loud, and the kits were attempting to block out the noise by covering their ears. It wasn’t, however, as loud as the explosion from the night before.

Soon enough, two of the slimmer lionesses slipped in through the jagged hole they cut, attached to harnesses, and disappeared. Occasionally, Judy could see a flicker of light from her view of the hole.

Anticipation was beating in her chest in place of her heart. She could feel it speed up as the first lioness came back out holding Cassie, who was curled up in a black hoodie that appeared to be slightly too large for her small size.

And then, the second lioness came out, lifting Nick out with her. Relief poured over Judy as she sighed. The two unconscious foxes were placed onto stretchers and were hauled off the site. Judy and the kits followed closely.

Judy stood off to the side as the paramedics, two impalas, checked over Nick and Cassie for any physical injuries. She was watching the impala checking over Nick closely, and Judy felt stupid for her overprotectiveness. She looked over towards the ocean. It was calm, and the sun was shining brilliantly over the water, reflecting annoyingly into Judy’s eyes.

Judy turned her head in the opposite direction. There were trees and bushes covering the land which was not covered by road, which was behind her. And then she saw it.

Movement. By the thickest of the bushes. Judy strained her eyes and ears to see if she could spot anything, or if she was just seeing things.

There was no movement after that. Judy sighed. _I’m just being paranoid_.

“Officer Hopps,” The impala looking over Nick called. Judy turned to see Nick sitting up, his head in his left hand. His right arm was in a sling.

“Nick,” Judy stated and rushed over to him.

“Oh, Nick, you’re okay,” Judy said, standing as close to him as possible. Nick lifted his head to look at Judy.

“Judy,” he whispered, and his voice sounded hoarse. Judy smiled up at him, as he reached his good arm to touch her face.

“I missed you,” Judy said, her violet eyes peering up at him.

“I missed you too,” Nick replied with a smile. “How long?”

“Twenty hours,” Judy replied, setting her mouth in a line.

“I was only gone twenty hours and you barely lasted. What would you do without me?” Nick asked with a smirk.

“Crash and burn,” Judy replied. “Good thing your personality’s still intact.”

“For you, that is,” Nick specified. “Not so much for Bogo.”

Judy gave a little laugh.

“So, are you good?” Judy asked.

“That depends,” Nick replied.

“Are you hurt?” Judy specified.

“I dislocated my right shoulder and had been lying on it for twenty hours or so. But that’s about the worst of it,” Nick explained.

“Well, I know one thing that can make you feel better,” Judy stated, and scurried off, leaving a confused Nick. He smiled as she disappeared into the crowd.

Nick swung his legs over the edge of the bed. His uniform was gross, and he was covered in dust that made his skin itch. He looked up to see Judy returning with a plate in her hands.

Food! Nick’s stomach grumbled in response. He smiled as Judy neared him. Judy was beaming, her head held high as she marched towards him. She watched as his face fell.

Judy’s ears drooped at this reaction

“What’s wrong?” Judy asked, her eyes searching his.

“Where’s the rest of it?” Nick asked.

“Rest of what?” Judy asked.

Nick smirked. “I clearly remember there being at least half a pie yesterday…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, 
> 
> Just gonna let you know I'm going probably to rewrite this story, in a more detailed and possibly suspenseful way. It won't be published for at least 2-3 weeks, though, because of school and exams and stuff. 
> 
> It will have the same characters and similar plot line; the only reason that I am going to rewrite it is because I believe I can write this better.
> 
> Thanks for commenting on this story, I really appreciate it, and you will be notified of the remake if you are interested. I'll probably write 2 or 3 Chapters before I publish it, though. And the chapters will hopefully be longer.
> 
> Tell me if you think I should rewrite it, or just leave it and keep going with what I have so far, but I personally believe that this can be written better.


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